


Teaching Nott Knots

by Caffinated_Story



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fjord thinks he's the older brother but he's really not, Friendship, Gen, No Romance, Nott is simultaneously the kid of the group and the oldest one there, but I just want them to be buddies, they just have to learn to trust one another some more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 22:02:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17067965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caffinated_Story/pseuds/Caffinated_Story
Summary: Fjord and Nott aren't the best of friends. Nor do they quite trust each other either. However, night watch is as good as a time as any to teach Nott new skills.





	Teaching Nott Knots

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this waaaay before the M9 got stuck on a boat, but only now had time to fix it up. So let's just pretend this happen sometime after that Gnoll fight okay?

The night sky is clear above their heads, not even a cloud in sight as the moon helps illuminate the flat glasslands below the small hill they've set up camp on.

Fjord didn't find it very difficult to volunteer for first watch, although he does find it odd that Nott volunteers to take it with him.

Then again, she doesn't really appear to trust him very much, so that might be why.  
He catches her side-eyeing him from time to time, but he has no intentions of mentioning it to her. It will likely only make things worse between them and he definitely doesn't want more problems.  
He has more than enough of those.

Nott sits at an arm's length from him; goblin arm's length mind you, Fjord could reach her with ease if he wanted to, but he gives her the space she appears to need.  
At first she's scanning their surroundings - yellow eyes darting back and forth as the wind rustles the grass from time to time.

An hour passes and finally Nott seems to relax a little bit more.

"Do you miss it?" She asks and Fjord turns to her, unsure if he actually heard her right.

"Miss it?" He asks and tries to scan her face for any clues - finding none in her green skin and dirty bandages.

"The ocean," Nott clarifies and features out towards the grassland. "Endless grass, endless sea. Are they comparable?" She elaborates.

"Well..." Fjord scratches the back of his head and let's his gaze wander over the green grass illuminated by pale moonlight. "I suppose it does have their similarities," he nods a little and glances back at his tiny green watch-companion. "But the freedom the ocean offers pales in comparison to this..." He trails off and stares across the ocean of grass.

Nott seems to follow his gaze before shuffling a tiny bit closer to him as the wind sends a chill through them both.

"I can't imagine being, you now... Not near land," she whispers, plucking a few grass strands and twirling them between her fingers.

Fjord does the same, holding one up towards the sky and smiling ever so slightly.  
"Well," he clears his throat. "I suppose it's the perfect escape for many..."

"Oh?"

"Well... On land you can travel and travel and travel very far, but it's still easy to find other people. Or for others to find you. But the ocean..." Fjord sighs wishfully. "On the ocean you can almost travel for years and never meet anyone else. It's freeing in its own way."

"And lonely..." Nott adds softly.

"Sometimes," Fjord agrees with a slight chuckle. "But a good crew means you've always got family with you too,"

They watch in silence for a little longer before Nott once more pipes up.

"Can you show me some knots?"

It takes him aback a little, but he quickly composes himself again.

"Sure," Fjord smiles warmly as he watches Nott rummage through her numerous pockets until she produces a small coil of rope.  
"Give it here and I'll show you some basics,"

Nott lets him have the rope, and edges a tiny bit close to him as he uncoils it and holds one end in his right hand.

"There's a lot of knots that are useful, but the general rule of knots is that they should be easy to untie even when a ship is moving on the sea or tugging against the pole it's tied to."

"So good knots are easy knots?" Nott tugs lightly at one of the bandages across her face that Fjord assumes she probably has to cut off of she wants to remove them.

"Pretty much," Fjord chuckles. "They might look very elaborate, but most can be done with your eyes closed," he adds as he does a quick demonstration of a bowline knot.

"Liar," Nott grimaces.

"Nope," Fjord grins as he undoes the knot, and then makes a point of closing his eyes and looking away as he transforms the end of the rope into a bowline once more.

Nott stares at him intently as he does it. And her eyes go wide when he presents her with the knot; perfect copy of the first one.

"Oh," she whispers with a slight hint of awe in her voice.  
Fjord finds it rather endearing, and if it wasn't for the fact he knows she's armed to the teeth he'd even find it cute.

"Can you teach me this one?" She asks.

Fjord nods.

He undoes the knot and then redoes it. Slowly this time.

"Make a loop. Take the edge. Pretend the end is a Merrow, okay?" Nott nods in reply. "Good. Now pretended that the Merrow comes out of the lake, goes under the tree stump and back into the lake," Fjord explains as he moves the end of the rope through the loop, under the standing end and then down through the loop again.

Nott is mesmerized.

He does it a few more times before handing her the rope so she can try.

It takes her a little while, but Nott knows her stuff. She's quick to learn when she wants to be and soon she's got the hang of it.

There's a certain kind of pride in her smile as she holds it up proudly for Fjord to inspect.

"Well done!" He praises her and pat's her head.

Nott blushes and for a brief moment Fjord remembers she's so, so, so very young.  
He shakes the thought away. He doesn't want her to catch on that he still sometimes can't help but think she's a child.

"Teach me another one!" Nott smiles, sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. "Please," she adds hastily when it looks like Fjord contemplates it.

"Why not," Fjord shrugs.

"Because it can be useful... Oh no wait," Nott frowns as Fjord lets out a small laugh.

He grins and takes the rope once more, considering the various knots he knows and which one will mostly benefit Nott.

"How about this one, it's simple but useful," Fjord grins and makes a quick figure 8 knot. "It's easier to undo than just a standard overhand knot.. "

Nott studies it closely.  
"Let me try," she snatches it from his hands and tries to replicate it herself. It only takes her two tries before she's got the hang of it. 

"Good," Fjord praises her with earnestly and Nott beams with pride.

"I can't wait to show Caleb!" She whispers excitedly. "Oh!" She lights up and snaps her fingers with glee; a purple hand made of arcane smoke emerging as she does so.  
"I'm going to practice with mage hand!" She laughs happily to herself as the purple hand picks up the rope.

Fjord blinks a little in disbelief and surprise, but can't help but stare in wonder as Nott and her glittering purple hand ties and unties the knots he's taught her.

For a while he even forgets they're supposed to stand guard, but a cold wind rustling the long grass brings his focus back to the task.

"Time to change I think," Fjord yawns. "I'll teach you another one when it's daylight, how does that sound?"

"Good," Nott smiles, sharp teeth visible for a while until she realises it and quickly hides her face. "If you want me to show you how to pick locks, just ask..." She whispers.

"I'll consider it," Fjord chuckles before going to wake Beau and Jester for their turn of guard duty.

He only catches Nott skittering to Caleb's side with the rope still in hand in the corner of his vision, but it fills him with pride.

"Cute," he thinks as he unrolls his bed-roll and blanket and settlers himself down for the night.  
He can understand why Caleb is so fond of her. 

If anyone has told him a year ago that he'd be teaching a goblin how to tie knots he would have laughed in their face.  
It would have sounded outrageous, yet; here he is: with a weird new family, filled with people who he cares a lot about despite their differences.

He sighs as he hears Jester and Beau talk softly amongst themselves.

It's not so bad this new life.


End file.
